diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/gh-8807-compat-is-new-old.md b/changelogs/unreleased/gh-8807-compat-is-new-old.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e10a4a2247ac628f5ba9e77b7902084e3e2635aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/gh-8807-compat-is-new-old.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+## feature/lua
+
+* Added the `:is_new()` and `:is_old()` helpers to `tarantool.compat`
+  options to simplify effective value checks (gh-8807).
diff --git a/src/lua/compat.lua b/src/lua/compat.lua
index 6727b5a8dd3b042f6c27827780c6bce6515da2a7..f7d3f855cf78340107f7f4c820d8791dd88b1a1e 100644
--- a/src/lua/compat.lua
+++ b/src/lua/compat.lua
@@ -446,6 +446,28 @@ function compat_mt.__index(_, key)
         result.current = 'old'
     end
 
+    -- Whether the effective value of the option is `new`.
+    function result.is_new(option)
+        if type(option) ~= 'table' then
+            error('usage: compat.<option_name>:is_new()')
+        end
+        if option.current == 'new' then
+            return true
+        end
+        if option.current == 'old' then
+            return false
+        end
+        return option.default == 'new'
+    end
+
+    -- Whether the effective value of the option is `old`.
+    function result.is_old(option)
+        if type(option) ~= 'table' then
+            error(('usage: compat.%s:is_old()'):format(key))
+        end
+        return not option:is_new()
+    end
+
     return result
 end
 
diff --git a/test/app-luatest/gh_7000_compat_module_test.lua b/test/app-luatest/gh_7000_compat_module_test.lua
index 356ed3a5da9dbaa82fbf770d082803a178b06fff..01d27a4b8504465b4672cecb7af216a529f26d01 100644
--- a/test/app-luatest/gh_7000_compat_module_test.lua
+++ b/test/app-luatest/gh_7000_compat_module_test.lua
@@ -216,6 +216,26 @@ g.test_help = function()
     t.assert(compat.help())
 end
 
+g.test_is_new_is_old = function()
+    for _, option_def in pairs(definitions) do
+        local name = option_def.name
+        t.assert(compat[name])
+
+        compat[name] = 'new'
+        t.assert(compat[name]:is_new())
+        t.assert_not(compat[name]:is_old())
+
+        compat[name] = 'old'
+        t.assert_not(compat[name]:is_new())
+        t.assert(compat[name]:is_old())
+
+        compat[name] = 'default'
+        local is_new = option_def.default == 'new'
+        t.assert_equals(compat[name]:is_new(), is_new)
+        t.assert_equals(compat[name]:is_old(), not is_new)
+    end
+end
+
 g.test_hot_reload = function()
     local hot_reload_option_def_1 = {
         name = 'hot_reload_option',